


Starring Role

by this_is_not_nothing



Category: Schitt's Creek (TV) RPF
Genre: Figuring it out....finally, First Kiss, Getting Together, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-17 06:20:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,955
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29345766
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/this_is_not_nothing/pseuds/this_is_not_nothing
Summary: Dan approaches Noah with the idea for a new project, the two starring as the lead romantic couple again.
Relationships: Dan Levy/Noah Reid
Comments: 13
Kudos: 81
Collections: RPFebruary Prompt Fest





	Starring Role

**Author's Note:**

  * In response to a prompt by Anonymous in the [rpfebpromptfest](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/rpfebpromptfest) collection. 



> thanks to gray, as always, for the insightful beta ✨

Dan finally forces himself to sit down on the sofa—to stop pacing. The apartment he’s renting back here in Toronto isn’t really big enough, and Dan feels vaguely trapped and his anxiety levels are creeping back up. 

It’s just—he wants this. By the time he realized he was writing this part with Noah in mind, it was too late. He doesn’t want anyone else. He doesn’t want to learn how to be intimate with a stranger. It’s stressful enough knowing how many eyes are on him and this project—the first he’s written and starred in since Schitt’s Creek. 

Noah would be perfect. Dan hopes he says yes. 

Noah is coming over for pizza and the Raptors game and Dan’s going to try to...work it in. Like _casually_ leave the script out and beg Noah to read it. Dan thought about going through official channels but, while less potentially embarrassing, it felt wrong. He barely went through official channels for Schitt’s Creek, and Dan doesn’t want to risk offending Noah now. Not that Noah’s easily offended. It should come from Dan. It just feels so _I’m just a girl, standing in front of a boy._ He’s asking Noah to trust him enough to say yes to a project. It’s not a lifetime commitment.

Noah should be here soon. Dan orders pizza from the place Noah likes—with pepperoni and black olives—and an order of cheesy bread. Maybe greasy food will calm him down or give him courage. More likely neither but one can hope. Dan hopes.

The doorbell rings and for a second Dan panics that he ordered the pizza too early. 

It’s not the pizza, though. It’s Noah. He looks—like Noah. Chill and happy and nice, in loose-fitting jeans and a white t-shirt and baseball cap, the one with the N, and very white sneakers. He holds up a dingy looking tote. “Negronis.”

He walks past Dan, right into Dan’s house, and sets down the bag before holding his arms open. Dan goes to him, and they fit together with the same effortless ease as always, with Noah pressing the briefest kiss to Dan’sneck as Dan slides his hands over Noah’s shoulders.

“Thought we could do fancy drinks with our trash pizza? You still like Negronis right?”

Dan nods. “Mhmm, I do. You didn’t have to—”

Noah shrugs and cuts him off. “Wanted to.”

Dan watches as Noah pulls out the glasses he needs. Last week, Noah made them cosmos when they watched the game and ordered burgers.

Noah carefully measures, using the shot glass he left here the first time he came over with the ingredients for a cocktail—they had daiquiris that time in honor of Dan and Hemingway being writers. It says _Kiss me, I’m Irish_ and it’s made Dan smile for weeks, sitting amongst the mugs and water glasses.

Noah pulls a whole orange out of his bag of tricks. “Do you have a paring knife?”

“Like a small one? I think—” Dan pulls open a drawer and holds up a small sharp knife. “Will this work?”

“Perfect.” Noah takes the knife and peels off two strips of orange peels, delicately dropping them into the glass.

“Where did you learn to do that?”

Noah shrugs. “I don’t know, just know how.”

Dan watches as Noah measures and pours—the way his hand is so big around the shot glass, the steady, sure way he completes each step. Noah has nice hands. 

Dan glances up, and smiles when he sees Noah’s face, concentrating on the task. He pulls a spoon out and gives the two drinks a stir. “Let’s see how I did.” Noah hands him a drink, his fingers warm where they brush up against Dan, a contrast to the icy glass.

“Cheers.” Dan holds up his glass briefly, and Noah does the same before they take matching sips.

“These are _good._ ” Dan takes another sip. “Like—one of the best I’ve ever had.”

Noah grins. “Glad you like it.”

They hover for a second, near each other, not touching but close enough that Dan wants to smooth his hand over Noah’s shoulder. Instead, he turns and heads to the couch.

Dan flips the game on, or the pre-game commentary, that he now knows is integral to the game according to Noah. Noah flashes him a smile as he sits down on the other side of the sofa.

They settle in, Noah telling him stories about being on set out west—it sounds like the budget for that show was amazing. Maybe this movie will be too small for Noah now, he’s not going to want to take a step backward now. Maybe he doesn't want to be pigeon-holed as the straight guy who keeps having to play Dan’s boyfriend for a paycheck. Maybe he prefers television work—Noah is currently saying how rewarding it was to be able to play out an arc over a longer time.

Dan takes a sip of his drink and tries to focus on Noah.

“Yeah it was—it was really interesting, to try to layer in subtle changes signaling a shift in my character’s overall growth, to find tiny ways to stay grounded amidst the bigger picture. You know what I mean?”

Dan nods, but he doesn’t really. He hasn’t been in anything where he had that kind of time, except Schitt’s Creek and he barely had time to learn his lines. Dan loves listening to Noah talk about his art though—he’s thoughtful, almost to the point of being academic about it, deliberate in his approaches both on-screen and with his music.

“Sorry—I won’t keep boring you.” Noah laughs and turns his attention to the game.

“No—I was. It’s impressive. You’re impressive. I haven’t really had that kind of acting job—except for our show, but I was usually worried about ten things at any given moment so I’m still sort of figuring out the acting part. What that feels like when it has my full attention.”

Noah nods, his face suddenly, unbearably sincere. “You focused more on making David three-dimensional than you think. You brought a lot of underlying character notes to him that made him extremely loveable. People really relate to him.”

Dan is saved from needing to respond by a cheer from the screen (that demands Noah’s attention) and the doorbell (which demands his). 

Noah smiles when Dan opens the box and reveals the black olives. Dan is neutral on them but Noah loves them. The taste is good enough, but the extra salt never does him any favors the next day. Still, Noah grabs a slice and says _thank you_ before taking a very big bite. He gets a little sauce in the corner of his mouth, and Dan’s about to reach over when Noah uses his tongue to get it. Dan grabs a slice of pizza.

The Raptors are up by twenty and half the pizza is gone. Dan’s thinking about a third slice, weighing the pros and cons of how his stomach is gonna feel tomorrow, when Noah stands up. “Another drink?”

Dan nods, he holds up his glass.

“Be right back.” Noah winks at him, taking the glass.

Dan watches Noah move through this space, until what he’s doing starts to feel more like staring. He grabs his phone instead, to check his messages, and ignores Noah’shands and eyes and just general Noah-ness, and answers a few texts instead—most of which are _Did you ask him_ (to which the answer is no).

He needs to. He should do it now, when Noah sits back down, instead of rushing through it awkwardly at the end of the game. The plan was to do it organically, but Dan can see now that the plan is fundamentally flawed.

Noah sits back down and Dan takes a sip. The second one is just as good as the first. 

“So I wanted to talk to you about something.” Dan starts, and immediately wishes he could start over. 

“Yeah, what’s up man?”

“I’ve—I’m wondering if you might be interested in something. But there’s no obligation, you can absolutely say no. I know you’ve got a lot of options now, and if this one isn’t—well, no hard feelings. I just need to ask, because I’ve had you in mind since the beginning.” Dan is trying to keep his voice even, but it’s picking speed and pitch.

“Daniel.” Noah keeps his eyes on Dan, blinking slowly a few times as he sets his drink down.

“I just can’t imagine not at least asking—I think you’d be perfect.”

“I didn’t know you felt that way. The options I have aren’t the options I want.” Noah moves closer to him on the sofa. Dan wants to kiss him.

“Oh god, I was so nervous you’d say no. I’m so glad. Noah, you have no idea.” Dan smiles at him and Noah grins back. They stare at each other for a long minute.

“It’s never a no for you,” Noah says, so sincerely Dan might literally combust. He feels warm everywhere. Dan tries not to get his hopes up.

“Well I mean, you might feel differently after you read the script. Do you want to see it now?”

Noah pulls back the tiniest bit. “Script? Wait. Um. What exactly are you asking me?”

Panic rising, Dan rushes out. “I wrote a rom-com. With Ali. And I’m going to be in it. And I was hoping you’d consider being in it too—the other lead.”

“I see. I’d really like that, thanks for thinking of me.” Noah’s face is closed off, and he takes a sip of his drink. 

“What—what did you think I was asking?” Dan’s voice is definitely high now, hitting the pitch he denies when Noah does an impersonation of him.

“No, nothing, I was just confused,” Noah says lightly, but his eyebrows are slightly furrowed.

Dan replays his side of the conversation back. _Might be interested in something. No hard feelings. It’s always been you._ “Wait—is that. Is that an option?”

“Is what an option?” Noah asks carefully.

“This. Us.” Dan gestures between them. “I didn’t know. I didn’t _know_ that there could be an us.”

“Do you want there to be?” Noah asks, slowly—a note of something that sounds like hope in his voice.

Dan nods. He _does_ want there to be, but there was work and their schedules and Noah was always _hanging out_ with people, and Dan couldn’t handle something casual with Noah. 

“Yeah,” Dan finally manages to whisper. 

Noah leans in closer again, and Dan tilts forward, inching them closer and closer together. Noah’s hands come up and cup his face so gently. “This is an option, if you want it.”

“I want,” Dan whispers into the space between them. Noah kisses him, his lips pressing against Dan’s like they have a thousand times before, but now it’s just them, doing this because they want to, because they want each other. Noah fits their mouths together, the slightest tease of tongue, his thumb moving softly against Dan’s cheek. 

Noah keeps kissing him, moving until he’s straddling Dan’s lap, somehow never moving his hands from Dan’s face or his lips from Dan’s mouth. Dan runs his hands all over Noah’s back, taking his time in a way he’s never gotten to before, not needing to worry about it being weird—because Noah wants this, wants him, wants this _with_ Dan. 

Noah pulls back eventually, pressing his forehead to Dan’s. “Do I still get to read the script?”

“Yes, definitely yes,” Dan whispers, before kissing Noah again—knowing whatever comes next, they’re on the same page.


End file.
